21 Jan 2018

Queenstown woman petitions mayor

7:38 am on 21 January 2018

A Queenstown woman is petitioning the mayor to take action on campers leaving rubbish and faeces behind at popular holiday spots.

Queenstown, south island, new zealand looking over Lake Wakatipu with the remarkables in the distance.

Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables in the distance. Photo: 123RF

Justine Farquharson said she had not visited Lake Hayes near Queenstown all summer due to its appalling state and she felt she had to take action.

"The tipping point was really on a personal level, enough is enough," she said.

In the past it was only a few that were ruining it for the rest, but because of the hot weather the volume of visitors had made the problem get worse, she said.

"It's picked up momentum, the volume of people this year has been quite large, possibly the largest I've seen it.

"Maybe if someone sees somebody else do it they think it's OK, I don't know, but definitely there's more people and the community just felt we have to find a solution and get it resolved so that we're not in the same position next summer," she said.

The petition comes two days after Queenstown's Mayor Jim Boult said the council was getting daily complaints about littering and over-crowding of recreational areas.

The petition outlines some possible solutions including fining offenders, imposing a visitor levy and clamping people who flout the rules.

Miss Farquharson said she wanted to encourage communication between community groups, campers and the local council.

"It's not about alienating anybody - it's about bringing people together ... we don't want to say this is your problem we want to say I pledge my support to do whatever I can to help."

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